You may be familiar with the power rock ballad, "Lips of an Angel" sung by Hinder. On the way to a meeting today, I heard the COUNTRY version of this song... My first thought was, "Who is singing this?" which was immediately followed by, "WHY is he singing it in a country format!?" In my opinion, this version is horrid... Oh, before I forget, Jack Ingram sings the country version....
Now, I find it funny that Hinder claims the song is not about cheating, which I guess technically it's not... Not really about cheating so much as hanging on to a past love, maybe... In any case, it is a raw, ROCK ballad... Putting to country not only slowed the song down considerably, but it took the edgy bite off it... I mean, the singer is supposedly on the phone with a past lover while his current girlfriend is in the next room... Something the rock version pulls off nicely... The country version sounds like the guy is just singing it... Bad karaoke, if you ask me....
This of course started me thinking about other songs that have been 'ported' from one version to another with horrid results.... "Walking in Memphis" comes to mind immediately. Wasn't it nearly a country-rock song to begin with? Why mess with it? No reason to make it a 'fully' country song... Of course, there is Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing." Look, I love country music. I listen to it more than most other kinds, but come on... Leave the rock ballads as rock ballads... Then we have country songs that people try to make rock and/or pop... And, right now, an example escapes me... Sorry. If you have some examples, post a comment and I'll be sure to post my thoughts.. :-)
I did think of something semi-related - songs that get thrashed to pieces when re-made for an 'updating.' Example: the Disney "Cheetah Girls" version of Route 66... Heard this?? You have got to be kidding me.... I do think it's funny how Radio Disney gets the artist's to change the words to some songs though... Talk about the power of the dollar.... I'm waiting for the RD version of "Buttons...." or maybe "Ridin' Dirty?" Hey, maybe they have a version of "Lips of an Angel" too!! LOL, I'm being sarcastic... though, in all serious sadness, they prolly do....
Speaking of semi-related.... Why ARE "semi" trucks called "semi's?" I have done some poking around to try and find out. I found all kinds of information ABOUT semi-trucks, but not why they are called semi trucks... Now, I realize, after research, that part of that is because they pull semi trailers, which are called that because they do not have their own power/transport system, evidently... And, maybe it's that simple... Of course, that opens the whole question about the "tractor" reference... Why are they called "tractor" trailer trucks? They're trucks, right? Maybe I need to check definitions of "tractor...." Hmmm...
What even started this? Aww, come on, don't you know by now?
IT JUST POPPED IN MY HEAD.... :-)
Okay, what about the Common Thread Album? All the country stars recording an album of remakes of the Eagles' tunes? I like it. I primarily listen to country. I would say 99.899999% of the time. So, the other version of the Lips of an Angel tune--I am clueless. I do like the country version of Don't wanna Miss a Thing, even though Steven Tyler's voice is so much sexier......(it's a chick thing) Now, since I have "friends" in the music biz, I have asked them about this whole crossover thing. They said that some artists, for example Faith Hill and Leanne Rimes, record 3 versions of a song. The country versions, the Pop version, and a R & B version if the song will realte well to these formats. Then it is realeased in those markets to radios stations that play those formats. It diversifies the audience. Something about record sales, gold and platinum records, and the award shows. Anyway, that's what I was told and it makes sense to me.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you didn't know why semis are semis and why they are aka tractor trailers.......I knew that, but again not only have I dated a trucker or 2 in my day, I have friends that are truckers. It's the redneck woman in me, I s'pose.
Might I say that I heard the Rock version of Lips of an Angel on VH1 or something that Dean was watching on Saturday. It is good, in a hardcore kind of raw way. Dean couldn't believe I knew the song word for word. He said" They don't play this on Froggy?" I said not this version, but yeah. The country version is a little more tender and I must say I like both versions. As I like the Steven Tyler/Aerosmith version of Don't Wanna Miss a Thing, I like the country version of that song too. Some songs cross over well, some may not. Lips of an Angel, I think did.
ReplyDelete